The present invention relates to showerheads. More particularly, the present invention relates to handheld showerheads producing a plurality of spray patterns.
Showerheads are commercially available in numerous designs and configurations for use in showers, faucets, spas, sprinklers and other personal and industrial systems. The vast majority of showerheads include spray heads which may be categorized as being either stationary or oscillating and have either fixed or adjustable openings. Stationary spray heads with fixed jets are the simplest constructions consisting essentially of a central conduit connected to one or more spray jets directed to produce a constant pattern. The stationary spray showerheads cause water to flow through the construction to contact essentially the same points on a user's body in a repetitive fashion.
Multifunction showerheads are able to deliver water in many different spray patterns such as a fine spray, a coarse spray, a pulsating spray, or even a flood pattern providing high fluid flow but decreased velocity. Of course, many other spray patterns may also be provided.
A conventional multifunction showerhead generally requires the user to turn a selector ring or dial on the showerhead faceplate in order to select a desired function. Another approach is to provide a faceplate with several spray jets located in concentric circular patterns. An internal controller, such as controlled by buttons or the like, may be operated to direct the incoming water to any of the various patterns. Examples of such constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,433,384 and 6,622,945.
Unfortunately, these conventional multifunction controllers suffer from various drawbacks. For example, turning a ring or pushing a button adjacent to the showerhead can be difficult to perform by persons having soapy hands. Furthermore, the showerhead's spray still originates at basically the same location, and thus does not provide a user with the ability to vary where the spray comes from.
A handheld showerhead typically includes a hollow handle connected to a water supply by a flexible rubber hose. Handheld showerheads allow a person to adjust the location and angle of the spray head, and thus where the spray originates and where the spray goes. However, handheld showerheads suffer other problems. In addition to having the above-described drawbacks of it being difficult to rotate a selector dial or push a button with soapy hands, a person holding the handheld showerhead must utilize one's hands to hold the showerhead which can make it difficult for a person to apply soap or shampoo.
More recently, shower stalls have been provided with a primary showerhead, and additional nozzles which project directly from the shower stall's sidewalls and which spray water in different directions than the primary showerhead. Unfortunately, these constructions require that expensive plumbing additions be made to the shower stall facility. Further, the sidewall nozzles cannot be moved to provide the variety that would be desirable for a shower user.
Recently gaining in popularity, shower stalls have been provided with rain showerheads. Typically, rain showerheads are mounted to pipes which project from the shower stall ceiling. The rain showerhead's face is aligned to point straight down and the nozzles are configured to provide a soft rain feature. Unfortunately, this ceiling mounted construction requires unusual plumping installations that can be expensive. Furthermore, once the plumbing has been installed, the rain showerhead cannot be inexpensively moved to provide the variety that would be desirable for a shower user.
Thus, it would further be advantageous to provide a showerhead assembly that included a primary showerhead as well as one or more supplemental showerhead which can be located at different locations within a shower stall.
Further, it would be advantageous to provide a showerhead assembly that included nozzles that could be moved throughout a shower stall, including upon the ceiling and sidewalls, which did not require expensive modifications to the traditional shower stall architecture such as the introduction of additional plumbing within the walls of the shower stall. As defined herein, the term “wall” is intended to be interpreted broadly to include both a sidewall or a ceiling. Accordingly, the phrase “shower stall walls” is intended to include both the shower stall's sidewalls and ceiling.